Friday, April 10, 2009

Friday Plait-time

Taking advantage of the slow pace of a day off from school, I finally had some uninterrupted time with Isabela's head. One day last week I told Jeff about Jennifer Peterson. Jennifer Peterson was a perfectly beautiful little girl who had a German mother and occupied the seat in front of me in the sixth grade. Almost every single day she came to school with her angelic spun gold hair plaited into a crown of glory that you could not find the beginning or the end of. Even if you spent the entire leftover time after you'd turned in your algebra test starring and looking for it. It was perfection.

I had tried it on my Barbie dolls so many times, but Barbie has quite a lot of hair for such a small head, and though I managed to get it into a circular braid, I never managed to do away with the dairy-queen of synthetic hair on top of it. Jennifer Peterson tiptoed back into my brain last week. It occurred to me that she had absolutely no idea how beautiful she was, and likely still is. She was a quiet, modest, bookish sort, and always looked like a little maiden from a painting, not at all what was considered hip in 1983. And she was everything that I love about a braid. In fact some of my favorite paintings of all time embody everything that I love about a braid. Such an honest and natural effort at adorning oneself.

So today I got to twitch a young girl this way and that with only a few squeaks of discomfort, while my hands played out the process that I've gone over and over in my head. First attempt mind you, but so satisfying. I have no advice on doing this. I just know that if you studied Jennifer Peterson's head the way that I did, you would know how to do it after 25 years.

Our Easter is celebrated next week, but all my love to rest of you this weekend!xo,Anna

She's gorgeous. My children have been off school this week, and my daughter's hair has never looked better either! Crowns of buns, braids, curls. So much fun! Thanks for sharing this, I'd love to figure it out.

Fascinating. Must figure out how to do that on myself, now that my hair is long. (I had the same troubles trying to do that on Barbie as a child, and my Samantha doll's hair wasn't very cooperative either.) I'd love to do either that or the Yuliya Tymoshenko style (which I guess is the same-ish, just inverted braids). I'm in awe of your skill!

wow, that is beautiful. I've never seen anything like it before. I can just about manage a messy french plait but can only just get my little one to sit still long enough for two ordinary ones. Its school holiday time this week though so her hair hasn't seen a brush for a week! I'd love to try a circle though - will have to search for a video tutorial.

I was a nanny in college for a greek family who celebrated greek easter and I always helped. I love everything about it, especially the food!!! This year I decided to make greek easter bread for our brunch, hopefully it will still turn out without the help of one awesome mom! Have a wonderful holiday!

Talk about nostalgic! My mama loved braiding my sister's hair like that when we were little. With her long, blond hair, it was always so beautiful. To me, she looked like an angel wearing a gold halo. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

This brings back memories of one of my best friends in high school... her mother was German also, and braided her hair every day into this same halo...Beautiful. I wish my daughters still had long hair that I could braid

Hi Anna!I tried doing something like that to my sister the other, but it didn't turn out near so beautiful as your's!! Seeing braids brings back memories to me too. My mom braided my hair almost every day when I was little. She especially loved doing it in french braids.

Hi - this is fantastic & reminds me of the patient times I practised braiding on my daughters now 19 & 20 ( yikes how did that happen ? ) I taught myself out of the " Klutz " books which I think are still available.

In the last month I've trained my almost-3-year-old to sit still every morning so that I can put her hair into two tight braids. It's a family tradition, and she will be the third generation to grow up with braided hair. (We use the braid on top method, where you throw the hair under.) My eldest daughter refused braids - but then she didn't have so much hair. I have to say that carrying on the tradition is a really, really good thing.

I have a similar story. I would gaze at a little girl named Heidi...with white blonde hair...in perfect french braids. Her mother was German, too!The first thing I learned when my little girl had hair long enough to braid? French braids! I sat her in front of Sesame Street and practiced until I mastered them.I have also done that same hairstyle on my girls back in the day. My girls are now 34 and 31.*sigh*

Oooo, I love Andrew Wyeth's Helga paintings. I just love Wyeth. And your braids are so enviable. I often had my mom do french braids, but my head was so tender and so fine that it hurt and never stayed put. I pray for a little girl that lets me do braids, but I would most certainly need a lesson to do this masterpiece. Well done.

Ohhh that braid is just darling and so is that little girl of yours too!! I hope someday my little girls ( one on the way!) let me have at it with their hair.For now my 3 yr old has a short bob just trying to brush it is a difficult task ;)

Beautiful. I did this to my 3 year old daughter's hair a couple of weeks ago. I thought it turned out adorable, she thought it looked a-scusting (disgusting). So 20 minutes before church I had to take it out and put in some pony tails. Maybe if I show her these pictures, she'll let me try again.

I learned how to french braid from staring at the back of another girl's head in HS English class! Your crown of braids is a great way to keep a little girl's hair out of her face...which was always my mom's peeve.

My best friend as a child was half German and her father lovingly brushed and braided her hair into the most beautiful and simple styles every morning. I had forgotten how much I loved those braids until reading this.

Oh, I used to love having my hair plated into braids of all shapes. My father used to plait my hair, and my sister did intricate braids like this. I haven't thought about it for many years. Can't wait until my little one will sit still long enough for me to do her hair. Beautiful photos. Enjoy more playing time.

I used to do this on my own hair then on my girls when they were young. Did you know that if you braid opposite from how you do it now (I can't remember whether this braid is over or under, but try opposite of how you usually do it) you will get a braid that sits up on the head more like a braided rope? Try it. Most people braid one way putting the strands of hair either over each other or under each other. I tend to over and it comes out like yours so give it a try the other way, it is a cool variation!

I have always liked braids on girls. Being a boy myself, I think that they are fascinating..... I guess maybe part of that mystery of a woman! I just showed my daughter who really didn't like this, but I am thinking I could talk her into having my wife do a french braid on her. Happy pre-Easter week to you. Thanks for the link to the Greek Orthodox version. That is very interesting!

Oh, I always wanted to have hair like that but my hair was so slippery, and my mum wouldn't have known how to do this anyway.Perhaps if I start studying now by the time my daughter will sit still long enough I can plait her hair like this!

this is sooo cool. When I was nine I went to school in Germany for a few week with a friend I was staying... I had a similar experience with a girl sitting next to me in art classes... she had two misterious plats, perfectly symmetrical, always tidy, with bows matching her clothes...

I have always had braid-envy..Not being able to french braid myself, I envy both those who can braid and those who are braided. :) Now it's hit an all-time high with that gorgeous arrangement you managed to whip up on your daughter's head. I looove it! My two yr old has a lot of hair for her age but it is still so silky...maybe one day I'll learn how to braid like those I envy so much! Thanks for sharing those gorgeous pics!!Nicole

Love the braids and love the Andrew Wyeth painting. I've been looking at a lot of Vermeer's work lately and the light in your photos, along with your description of Jennifer, had me thinking your link would take me to Vermeer.

I would love to think I could get my daughter's beautiful hair to do this but I'm not so sure I have the skill! Well done.

Hello!Your little girl looks really cute-I've done this style a thousand times over the years, after coming up with how to hide the braid when I was 16. I call it a Princess Crown. EVERYONE in my church wanted me to do this to their hair, so I became Quite proficient, timing myself at braiding mine in under five minutes, and my sister's at under 6 minutes, for school (This due to the fact I had to do it for so many people at school and church-practice makes perfect!). Now I have done this for my own daughters, and the trick is simple, but can be painful to the tenderheaded, so THREAD SLOWLY. Start above the right ear, looking at the person, and after braiding around the head, continue braiding to the END, yes, END of the braided pony that is left. Then thread this pony UNDER the original French Braid (Can also be done as a Pineapple Braid as well). Bobby pins well placed can hold it in when done, and I find, since our hair is waist length and longer, that it's best to braid to the tiny end of your hair, then wrap with a Very small Pony, which will hold the braid together as it's threaded through and keep it from unraveling. Happy Braiding to ALL!!!

this is breathtaking!.. i am 54 and i still lust after thick beautiful braids. i wear pigtails now and my hair stops at the collarbone. maybe ONE day i will be able to do this maiden braiding for myself. thanks for taking these beautiful photos. u are lucky to have a daughter !

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